1. Technical Field
Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a polarization member and a display device including the same.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Liquid crystal displays (LCDs) are one of the most widely used types of flat panel displays. In general, an LCD includes a pair of substrates having electric field generating electrodes such as pixel electrodes and a common electrode and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the substrates. An LCD applies an electric field to the liquid crystal layer by applying voltages to the electric field generating electrodes. Accordingly, the orientation of liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer is determined, and the polarization of incident light is controlled. As a result, an image is displayed on the LCD.
One type of LCD is a vertical alignment (VA)-mode LCDs. In a VA-mode LCD, when no electric field is applied to liquid crystal molecules, the liquid crystal molecules align such that their long axes are perpendicular to the display substrates.
A VA-mode LCD typically uses a vertical alignment layer and liquid crystals having a negative dielectric anisotropy. In a VA-mode LCD, when no voltage is applied to the liquid crystals, light is blocked by two vertical polarization plates. On the other hand, when a voltage is applied to the liquid crystals of a VA-mode LCD, liquid crystal molecules may tilt, causing birefringence. Accordingly, the polarization direction of incident light may be rotated, allowing the incident light to propagate through a sample. In addition, when a voltage is applied to the liquid crystals of a VA-mode LCD, the liquid crystal molecules may be aligned only in a specific direction. This can result in poor viewing angle characteristics.